


Put Yourself In My (Lack Of) Shoes

by plumblesbumbles



Category: Game Grumps, hypnosis - Fandom
Genre: Hypnosis, Hypnotism, M/M, Mind Control, Multi, Polygrumps, hypno!grumps, hypnogrumps
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2017-02-06
Packaged: 2018-09-22 08:59:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9598832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plumblesbumbles/pseuds/plumblesbumbles
Summary: Ross and Danny are both basically having an intense sugar crash post-recording from night until morning, and when Danny wants to give up and call it a night from tiredness, Ross reccomends using reverse psychology hypnosis. Things go haywire when Ross gives Danny the hypnotic suggestion to become Arin, and chaos ensues...





	

**Author's Note:**

> Prompts- Hypno!Grumps Fanfiction :
> 
> -"Ross hypnotizes Danny to think that he’s not Danny, but instead is Arin! Chaos ensues as Danny changes from his sweet placid self to the energetic and sporadically rage-filled Hanson, and tries to do things that he thinks Arin would do (or rather, wants him to do)… Can be NSFW or SFW"
> 
> -"Ross constantly waves a pendant in front of Dan’s face, jokingly saying ‘you’re getting sleepy…’ Soon, Dan stops berating Ross for annoying him, and Ross realizes he actually put Dan in a trance."

Ross and Danny both sat in the grump room, prepping for another episode of Steam Train. The two were side by side on the cushiony couch, surrounded by a large clutter of videogame technology. Old and new game systems intermingled with each other, and cables trailed behind every open space in the floor and warranting a tripping hazard. Games gathered dust on the shelves around them, neatly stacked side by side. The windows flooded in sunshine and specks of light danced before them, and after an entire night of filling up on caffeine and sugar to push through the late recording sessions, and an even longer time staring at blindingly blue screens, their eyes pulsed and burned sorely. Needless to say, both were basically sugar-high husks of their former selves.

“Ross, if I eat one more skittle, I’m going to vomit, like, rainbow all over this fuckin’ carpet,” Danny said, groaning. They both giggled gaily, feeling the last of their sugar rush, taking a quick break before recording another episode to give their complaining stomachs a rest. Both heads were filled to the brim with glucose and sleep-deprived fantasies. 

“Dan, you fuckin’ pussy, man- just one more skittle? I thought you breathed that shit!” Ross ribbed.

“Literally; I’m gonna be like Keith Haring dancing all new colors up in here,” Dan answered confidently, his hand half-motioning to the carpet. “I don’t know how much more I can take of this, my body’s rejecting everything I’m doing right now, dude.” He said, grinning in a slightly loopy manner. It warmed Ross’s heart, and he smiled to himself, thinking of how he could help ease their suffering.

“Oh damn, I have an idea!” Ross said, a spark filling his glossy, computer-strained eyes. “How about we use some mother fuckin’ reverse psychology!” He then promptly got up from his seat, stretched out the coils and knots and bubbles that filled every joint in his skinny, long seated body, and walked away from the couch. Danny only half-watched him out of curiosity, but wound up thinking about how many cavities were making a home on his teeth right now, and how gross he felt. Suddenly Ross reappeared in his view, and after having been gone for a short blot of time that Danny only now realized had passed during his daydreaming. Another thought that had lightly passed his stream of thoughts was how sadistic and wound up Ross appeared to be acting as of late, and Dan wondered what it could possibly be about or if he should bring it up for discussion. Thus, he began his daydreaming once again, and he promptly zoned out.

Suddenly, Ross dropped a pendant which had been hidden in his hand out in front of Danny’s eyes, startling his distracted friend. A pendant? What’s he doing with some piece of jewelry?, Danny thought, annoyed, and yet intrigued. It was a beautiful, silver pendant, a piece of jewelry Ross likely nabbed from Suzy’s array of trinkets scattered about the Grump Space. It has a stunning lustre; the light from the windows created sporadic glints, as it twirled and twinkled before him from the tiny chain that supported it, dangling, in a perplexing and elegant manner that looped and traced his gaze back and forth, and around, and around, and around still…

Danny shook himself out of his daze for the third time now, purposefully looking up directly at his friend’s eyes to avoid the enchanting bauble’s pull on his thoughts. ”Ross, what are you doing with Suzy’s necklace? Put that back, you’re gonna break it or something.”

Ross continued to dangle the trinket before Danny’s face, ignoring his friend’s rebellious commentary. “We’re gonna use some hypnotism to keep you awake, ‘cause you’re tired, and this would make you want to stay awake! I’ve been studying a ton of psychology shit lately, and then I found out about this, and thought, ‘this’ll be the perfect chance to try out my new tricks’.” He smiled his classic, cat-like Ross O’Donovan smile, that stretched dimples into his face and cast a peculiar and mischievous shadow over his bright, baby blue eyes. Danny shook his head, laughing but slightly uneasy. He fidgeted in his seat, pressing his heels against the bottom rim of the couch to keep his feet grounded and reality before him, fighting just as Ross said against the mesmerizing pendant.

“C'mon man, don’t be stupid. That’d never work on me. Besides, I’m not tired..!” He professed uneasily, willing his eyes to stay open and looked into Ross’s. His eyes watered bitterly, and he struggled to ignore the sting, as his gaze once again wavered slightly. He fought against it with all his strength, but his eye contact broke, and he felt his eyes become magnetized once again to the strange toy Ross held before him.

Ross’s smile grew only more impish, and his soft brown hair fell lightly over his eyes. With the casting of the light bathing his figure, and his icy blue eyes, plus the unreal smile and pendant, he really looked like a blue imp creature, playing a trick on his unguarded friend and victim. Danny felt uncomfortably out in the open, and struggled as hard as he could to keep himself awake. Ross didn’t realize he was creating a real effect on him, but Danny realized only too late, for his mind was already beginning to wander away from him, as the impish man continued to tease his downward descent. His was overpowering him, slowly but surely. 

“You liar…” Ross said, drawling out his voice for comedic effect. “I know you’re just getting sleepier and sleepier…but you don’t want that, do you? Go on, try and fight it, but you know I’ll be the one to succeed in the end,” he cooed, mocking Dan playfully. The pendant was closer to Danny’s eyes, so close that his eyes almost crossed. As the piece of metal turned in the air before him, Danny could see the bright turquoise jewel that protruded in the front, previously hidden by its misleading shell of ornament silver. The gem protruded from it, sticking out, and Danny was half convinced that it was a third eye, disconnected from Ross, now staring deeply into him, his whole being, which opened further and further as he dropped rapidly into a deep, dark, mindless slumber….he could almost make out his azure reflection in the shining jewel, and him being disconnected from himself, locked inside the pendant’s cage. In fact, now, Ross’s voice seemed to be the only thing he heard, the words were so melodious and charming, and the jewel, now, it’s turquoise-seafoam ocean filling his foggy vision, his mind filling with a colorful haze that seeped from this beautiful bright gem into his own mind…they stole his thoughts and trapped them away, somewhere he could no longer grasp. His body became increasingly heavy and heavier still, melting into the couch. The last half-conscious view he got was of a confused Ross O’Donovan, his smile having faded, while Danny’s mind ceased to be any longer. He lost the fight, but had fought proudly. Somehow, this loss was so satisfying to Danny in a way that tugged on his sensualities, and he felt extremely proud to have lost such an admirable battle of will, and now was rewarded with the gift of floating unreality and loss of control.

On the outside, Ross had only just now realized what was happening. His friend’s eyes started to look as though they were crossing and rolling up into his head slightly; his eyelids flitted and fluttered like moths towards the light of the glittering gem, his eyelashes nearly brushing its facets. His head was dipped and now was sunken atop his chest, lips barely parted and his breathing even. Ross laughed apprehensively, his trickster facade fading away as nerves began to grow around his hand and caused the pendant, now no longer being watched, to shake and quiver down its chain.

“Haha, nice joke Dan…Come on, uh, let’s stop and clean up all this skittles and candy wrapper crap we made on the couch so we can get some real rest…Danny?” His words trailed off as he noticed an unnatural tiredness, almost like a wave of heat cascading from Danny onto the open world, enveloping him, barely grazing the skin of his friend which created an invisible barrier of conscious and subconscious minds between the two men. One, shackled, trapped, and extremely calculative during this strange new issue that confronted him, and the other having given himself up entirely for passion and lust for sleep which consumed him. It filled Dan so entirely and strangely that it was almost amorous, and Danny’s smile played softly upon his lips as he felt a hotness grow deeper and stronger in his lower half, the only source of energy left in him and yet entirely out of his control, burning pleasantly in his heavy, languid body. His cheeks hollowed, and his mouth dangled lazily, a sliver of teeth hiding behind the curtains of his lips. His eyes completely closed and drooped, and his hair whipped over them, curling over his blank face, his eyebrows drifting islands on the ocean of his forehead that now was still waters, where before had been cascade upon cascade of violent torrential waves crashing upon the rocks of his furrowed brow. His body, before wound up, tied and knotted in awkward and fumbling positions, now stretched out freely and openly. Danny was more peaceful than Ross had ever seen him; even when he caught him napping on the couch, he always had this inescapable knot between his brow that permeated his disrupted sleep, which only now seemed to clear away, and reveal the beautiful, new openness which he confessed to being capable of and allowed to pour forth from his body, stolen entirely by the jewel and its mystical and trance inducing properties.

Ross began immediately to panic, realizing what had happened. Oh no. Oh no. What the fuck did I do? What the fuck- Maybe he’s just kidding, and trying to freak me out- it’s just a joke..! He thought, his thoughts shouting violently in a cacophony of worry and jumped conclusions; Dan’s gonna be stuck like this forever, if I say anything else he’ll end up jumping out the window or some shit from being suggestible, he’s so open and subconscious right now he’ll be able to honestly admit how much he actually hates me and how he’s always hated me!! Thinking all of this and more, Ross immediately spat out in a rushed whisper, all the calm inside of him having unraveled immediately, “D-Dan? What are you doing?” Ross finally drew away his magical pendant, the cause of this mess and the hand that dealt the crime, and frantically stuffed it into his pocket.

Dan’s totally contrasting tranquility and etherealness served only to further panic his friend, as he responded in a dazed, sleepy chuckle of a jumbled response, which sounded more like somebody who had so many drinks they were past the point of no return and entirely out of their minds. Dan’s head slightly bobbed as he mumbled incoherently, but then dropped again, deeper, onto his lightly breathing chest. Ross started to feel a cold bead of sweat form on his hot face, panic tearing him apart. He asked in a high-strung, hushed voice, so as not to awaken him, “Danny, c-can you hear me?” He worried that waking him up would have the same rules as applied to sleepwalkers, where if you woke them up they’d suddenly try and strangle you out of confusion or something similarly horrible.

Dan, in his deep and still deepening stupor of trance and suggestibility, nodded messily, his batch of hair bouncing gently with the rhythm of his uncoordinated movements. He gave a goofy grin, drunk on pleasure and tiredness, and Ross felt his heart skip a beat at the sheer gorgeousness of his friend in this state of mind. “Mhm’….ye…a…heaa…” was all Ross could hear escape Dan’s lips.

“Dan, can- can you please sit up for me? Like, fix your, uh, posture?-” before Ross finished the sentence, Danny was already on the move, and slowly but surely his senses came together to do Ross’s bidding, and bring him to be on board with Ross’s wildly alert gaze and Danny’s blissfully blank stare that peeked shyly under his eyelids. He had these beautiful brown eyes that swam and dipped, and seemed so much bigger and brighter than normal, wet with the tears of sleep. Danny’s body swayed gently, and he seemed to be humming a tune of his own lullaby, only furthering to deepen himself into this influence Ross created. Even like this, he was still a being of pure music and peace. His mind was so malleable and puttylike, and Ross felt enticed at the idea of him being willing to do anything he wanted, at his will, like in cartoons…

But still, Ross was freaking out as Danny lost more and more of his grip on himself and his mind. He was completely out of his mind now, ogling over sleepy melodies and focusing on any point intensely that landed before his blurred and sleepy mind, so engulfed in euphoria and lost in itself, and latching onto Ross’s words like a child being led by the hand of their parent. Ross had so many ideas darting around his mind, but none of them were sticking, and he wondered above all if Danny was going to remember any of this and what he’d done to him. Ross’s knowledge about hypnotism was, at the least, fairly mixed and still mostly filled with ideas of fictitious elements such as mind control, and being a dominating personality he found it extremely pleasurable. But now that he was faced with it before him, he never considered what the consequences might be- or, rather, if there would be any at all…

“D-Danny, listen to me very carefully, okay? Look at me, alright?” Dan’s eyes grew bigger and brighter, pools of warm chocolate fudge, completely unfocused and dazed. They gazed almost lovingly at Ross, and his beautiful words danced around his head, tugging gently at his will. He admired, in an unreal way, the manner in which the light cast itself on Ross, his eyes rimmed with a bright light and his pupils pinpricks in the grace of the sun. His hair looked slightly messier, after he’d rubbed it in frustration at his friend’s loss of consciousness, and his hands looked flushed and clammy. Dan didn’t seem to realize the stressful atmosphere his friend possessed, and still smiled innocuously at him, innocent and blissful.

“Mhmmmm…okie-dokie, Rosssssss..” he slurred, chuckling gently to himself, his head nodding. He gazed unchangingly at Ross, like a cat slowly blinking in appreciation at their owner.

“Danny- and I need you to stay with me so you can answer- are you- I mean, what the fuck- are you…will you remember anything that’s happening right now?”

Dan considered it, deep down. He didn’t feel the grasp of memory or cognition suffocating him right now. In fact, it felt so good just to let everything slip through his mind, and not keep anything that wouldn’t serve to make him feel better except vague feelings of gratification. His warmth grew fuzzier with each passing second, and he, in this languid stupor, drank in the feeling. And something, even deeper down, really trusted Ross to be with him in this way of mind, and wanted to submit himself.

“Mnahh….I dun’ think I feel like it…” he responded as clearly as he could. God, Ross thought, his voice was so fucking hot like this, his words sticking and wrapping around each other so seductively. Ross felt an intense warmth fill up his lower abdomen and throb gently, and he tried his best to ignore it, his face flushing.

He really didn’t like to take advantage of his friend, but this was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and fuck if he wasn’t turned on as hell right now. Danny could feel the electricity buzzing from his friend, and it helped further spiraled him into this haze, which consumed his entire being in a warm, erotic, extreme way. If he could feel his hands and move them without struggle, he would have had no problem or embarrassment, his mind the way it is, with gently fondling himself, perpetrating his pleasure without realizing its cause or consequence…just overpowering, warm passion consumed him entirely and totally now, and he gladly clung to it, letting it do its mysterious will, orchestrated by Ross’s aroused and sadistic whims. Ross felt a mischievous revelation alight his thoughts, and he pondered it now for the first time. It was just too good, and now he could exercise his dominance. And Dan, without knowing the details, would be begging to thank him later.

“Dan…I want you to focus on a feeling of warmth just growing, beneath your jeans…” he said, his dripping with excitement and power. “I want you to focus intensely and completely on that feeling, and let it control you…let my words be your guide…” he watched Dan’s unchanging, melted expression turn to one of flushed cheeks and beads of sweat forming upon his brow. His lips grew wetter and glossier, and he could see him opening and closing them to fight the dryness in the air, his face contorting in an erotic and satisfied way. Ross had never seen him like this, and loved the free performance. And to think, he could do this to him whenever he wanted, make him do whatever he wanted…

I’ll take good care of him, he won’t have to worry about doing anything that would be unenjoyable for him, Ross thought, proudly in control. He decided, he could have fun with this, but he should really see if he could learn more about his friend while he was like this. He wanted to know everything that composed of the psyche of Daniel Avidan, he wanted to observe, to watch what was cleverly feigned in his conscious, thinking life. Learn what was being hidden out of plain sight, and only for him to see.

Inspiration came flooding to Ross, and he decided to try simple things first. Ask him questions.

“Dan, what have you been feeling out of trance?”

His friend latched onto his words in such an incredible way, soaked up the information, and attempted to squeeze out a comprehensible response. He wanted to please Ross, and to keep him talking, because the silence was so fuzzy, and his voice, so sensual and deliberate in its purpose, to please him. But Dan had a case of the giggles, and his responses were somewhat biased on this mood, as he only gave a tired, stifled laugh, and fought to speak through it. “I’ve been feelin’, pretty happy…laughin’…‘nd havin’ fun…’m reallyyyy sleepy…” he sighed, his voice a low, syrupy murmur. “Arin’s so funny…s’always bein’ mad…but not really angry, he’s just real’ nice…’s beard ‘s fuzzy…my coffee was cold and didn’t taste good…I pet Mochi today and he was soft ‘n cute…my hair feels gross….” he rambled, his mind dusting off his everyday thoughts and clutter and piecing them slowly together as comprehensible words. Ross listened carefully, sifting through the clutter like a researcher in an old library trying to find a breakthrough in his studies.

“Focus on how Arin makes you feel,” Ross said, altering the course of Danny’s stream of thoughts. He wanted to know how Dan thought of his friends, and more specifically through that, of Ross. Suddenly, an idea came to him, and he decided to test it out, to get a better picture on Danny’s image of his friends. In the spur of the moment, he didn’t care to think that there may have been any consequences to his actions. So, enticed by this new prospect, Ross suggested;

“I want you to focus on Arin, the way he talks, the way he thinks, the way he acts, and I want you to let that embody you. Let yourself become the Arin you know. Act as he does, answer my questions as him, and let your mind go from Daniel Avidan to Arin Hanson.”

The change that undertook Danny’s lithe, mature body was almost remarkable in its subtlety. His body suddenly came alive again, as he rose from the couch, and Ross felt a bit like Doctor Frankenstein, witnessing his own creation come to being, and to present itself upon this unprepared world. Danny, whose smile before was gentle and lazy, changed and warped around his face, which contorted into an oddly energetic expression that seemed to be trying to mimic Arin’s. He twitched his lip muscles as though there was a mask of facial hair growing on top of them, itching his face. He pursed his lips in a comically frustrated fashion, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. His posture changed from uprightness to make up for his naturally lean self, to the muscular yet pudgy body type of Arin that he recognized. His arms, usually hanging straight down at his sides in a respectful manner, now carried the nonexistent muscles that Arin in reality possessed, and spread slightly apart from his waist to make up for his body’s space that was there in his mind. His shoulders slumped forward barely, supporting the weight in his arms, and he spread his legs apart slightly, squirming uncomfortably in his shoes and baggy clothes. His eyes were the most noticeable change. Danny’s natural expression was one of peaceful geniality, unenergetic and warm. Now, they kept their warmth, but it went from a soft warmth, to fiery and alive, with a youth that regressed Danny’s mind by nearly a decade. He was vibrant and at the call of action, and his subconscious reflected this image of Arin which he now embodied with every fiber of his being. Ross watched in absolute awe and shock at how strongly those subtleties that composed of Daniel Avidan were so easily changed to create this new, familiar person before him.

Danny, with the mind of Arin, looked around the room in a confused manner, and then finally met Ross’s eyes. If he’d met Danny for the first time like this, he would think he was a very contrasting-looking person, and unaware of their actual appearance. Ross thought of this new person before him, and felt a frightened warmth grow in his body and continue to arouse him. The Dan-Arin that looked at him now did not appear to be under hypnosis, and in fact acted out everything with a seemingly boundless energy. For a moment, there was a strange silence, with Ross not knowing how to interact with his two closest friends as one person. Suddenly, Danny, as Arin, broke the silence.

“..Fuck, dude, what were we doing just now? I have so much shit to get done!” Dan-Arin said, his voice much louder and more direct than Dan’s normal one. He took off his shoes and heavy jacket, and started to leave the room.

Ross snapped back to the reality of the situation, and attempted to mediate his confused friend, stopping him in his tracks. He did not want anyone seeing Danny like this. “No! No, we were just, uh, talking. You were telling me what you thought of Danny.”

Dan-Arin suddenly calmed down, still overflowing with a stirring energy, as he looked intently at Ross in a strange new way. Ross wondered what was going on in his friend’s mind right now, whether he was still dimly aware of himself actually being Danny, or if he saw through Ross’s nervousness. But his suggestibility still remained, as Dan-Arin brushed away the non-existent dyed streaks of hair from his eyes, thinking.

“Danny’s a sweet fella. I love him a lot, he’s so fucking rad, man. He’s been through tons of shit, with OCD and his health and all that bullshit. He’s honestly my closest friend and I can’t find myself in a bad mood when I’m near him. We like to make each other laugh, and that helps me alot and stuff.” Dan-Arin said, shifting his legs as he spoke. It seemed even when he was standing in place, he was always on the move with some action or purpose. Well, Ross thought, there’s no getting nearer than this- he also thinks of Arin as being a perpetually busy guy, but always making time for his friends first… Ross couldn’t help but smile as his friend confessed his love and admiration for his best friend, in such a strange yet sweet way. Really, there wasn’t much exaggeration in the way Dan thought of Arin. After spending hours every day with the guy, learning basically everything about him, they both shared an unbreakable bond, and didn’t have any really idealistic falsehoods about their image of the other. They were connected in a way that couldn’t be severed, having both made each other into the strong people they are today. It was so heartwarming to see just how much they loved each other; romantic, platonic, whatever. They loved each other, and made each other strong. Even from when he asked Dan how his day had been, Arin still permeated his thoughts in a positive and dominant regard. Ross felt blatantly envious, and couldn’t wait to see Dan act out as Ross next, and see if he could maybe have Danny thinking similarly about him through some manipulation…

Ross’s plan died away as he heard footsteps coming down the hallway, and his panic hit him sharply in the chest. Dan-Arin asked, ignorant to his own situation, “Is that Suzy? Man, I gotta get some takeout sushi for her. We’re gonna do a loot crate vid’ soon, gotta prepare to satiate the munchies and the lovelies.” Dan-Arin laughed, thinking fondly of ‘his’ wife. He was probably thinking of something Arin told him today about doing loot crate with Suzy, and now brought this up as evidence of his identity and relationships as Arin.

…Uh-oh, Ross thought. If Suzy walked through the door and Danny suddenly tried to kiss her hello or be romantic, it would be an unbelievably awkward situation. The secondhand embarrassment that flooded Ross’s cheeks made him slightly turned on, and his stress and panic flitted around inside of him, as he was wondering how he could ever hope to explain himself to anyone for doing this to Danny. Above all, how he could ever explain this to himself for why he really wanted to know more about Danny.

Ross worked as fast as he could. There was nowhere to hide Danny, and no guessing who was going to walk through that door, and they were advancing faster than Ross could prepare. Even though he was aware of their approach, the head that appeared in the doorway still scared the life out of Ross, as he looked up and saw-

Arin Hanson.

Ross’s stomach dropped thirty feet into the ground. He felt nauseous and bewilderingly turned on, and embarrassment completely overpowered him. His ears grew bright red and hot, and he felt so flustered he almost didn’t hear the real Arin when he said;

“Hey, is Dan in here? I wanted to ask him a question about the Starbomb song we’re working on and-” His voice slowly dissipated as he saw Ross’s expression. He looked like a fish gasping for air out of the water. “Everything okay, Ross? You don’t look too good.”

Ross blinked, knowing he looked extremely suspicious right now. He just couldn’t help it, as he bit the inside of his cheek and suppressed the nauseating feeling in his stomach.

“I’m fine, just…ate too many skittles.” He blurted out, his words tense and stumbling into each other. Arin raised an inquiring brow, but seemed to understand, being someone with stomach problems himself (which he was fond of bragging about). Ross attempted to block Arin’s view from the doorway to hide Danny, and practically jumped in front of Arin to block him. Arin looked at Ross, thinking he looked more fidgety than normal as well.

“Uh,” Ross began, lying, “I think Danny went out to, uh, quickly wash his face before the next recording session for Steam Train. He’ll be back soon-”

But Ross’s distraction was to no avail, as Arin managed to catch a glimpse at a full head of curly hair behind Ross in the room. Arin’s expression cleared and became warmer, and he smiled in acknowledgement of his friend.

“Danny, there you are! Damn, you’re fast, I guess Ross didn’t see you come in. Hey, I had something to ask you about the Starbomb song I was just talking about, I was thinking of changing something in the lyrics that I thought of in the shower, and it was super fucking funny in my head and I wanna know what you think…” Danny, as Arin, was staring at the real Arin with an extremely odd expression on his face, one that Arin had never seen him wear before. He stared at him like most animals look in the mirror, like cats that see themselves in the mirror and start hissing because they think it’s another cat, or bugs that start twitching and lashing out at their reflection defensively. Arin’s heart grew slightly cold, and he felt suddenly estranged from the man he was looking at. Something felt changed about him, that made him feel unfamiliar and off in a way Arin didn’t like. The Danny that he thought he knew now returned his worried stares with distrust and bemusement, two things he’d hardly ever seen Dan express.

“D-Dan, is something wrong?” He asked, his voice quivering slightly.

Dan-Arin turned around to look behind him, warily breaking eye contact with the other Arin. Danny wasn’t behind him, and it was only Ross and this other Arin in the room with him. “Who are you talking to? Ross, who is this guy? Why is he dressed up as me-?” Dan-Arin asked Ross, with an expression of confusion and almost anger. “Are you some kind of cosplayer or something?” He asked, an unamused yet polite smile masking his face.

Arin stared at Danny in disbelief. He’d known Danny for many years now, and they were closer than anybody else in both their lives. Where was this coming from? Now that Arin saw him, he could see that Danny was barefoot, something that he’d hardly ever seen Danny as before; his big, worn down sneakers were kicked away in front of him in adamance. He’d taken off his usual jacket as well, which was flung over the couch in a distasteful manner. Even the way he was standing was strange as well, like he was holding his arms up, and had somewhere else to be. His eyes were wide and fiery, and they returned Arin’s stare with an extremely bizarre familiarity, and he kept twitching his lip and chin like there was something itching him there. Something was definitely weird, and Arin was beginning to lose his composure, feeling the stress in the atmosphere alienate him. He suddenly felt very unwanted among his closest friends.

“Dan, buddy- Ross, what is he talking about? Why is he acting like this?” Arin sputtered, a nervous laugh struggling to escape from him. Now both Arins were looking demandingly at Ross, who had shrunken two feet by now in shame.

Oh God, what have I done, Ross thought, screaming inside of his head. He started, stuttering; “Look, g-guys, I can explain-”

“Explain what, that this guy is pretending to be me? Why is he in the Grump Space, I didn’t realize we’d be having, uh, a guest…Is this some kind of prank?” Dan-Arin demanded, his face going crimson, and he felt restless and ogled at. He took a step back from the two men in the doorway, with the premonition that they were mocking him, sharing some joke that he wasn’t let in on and yet was focused around on him. What was happening?

For a moment, there was an uncomfortable silence, where all men questioned each other and were seeking excuses desperately. Ross felt his mouth was dry and couldn’t find the words. He wanted to admit what he did to Danny, and felt the weight of his pendant in his jean pocket, the lump pressing onto his skin horribly, burning a hole through his pants to admit his crime.

The real Arin broke the silence, trying to mediate the situation. “Look, Danny…I think you’re just tired- it’s been a long day, and you haven’t slept for a long time. I- I think you just need to take today day off, and everything will be okay. I’ll ask somebody to look after you, I think you and I just need a break…I guess it’s not healthy being together so often, you get confused, harbor a lot of toxic feelings- let’s just call it a day, and…later I’ll call you, okay, buddy?” He said, slowly walking towards Danny, his hands held up in defense. Danny took another step back, paranoia taking over.

“No! My name’s not Danny, I’m Arin Hanson! What did you do to Danny, why do you keep pretending you’re me and that I’m him? Ross, back me up here, this guy is bullshitting me and an imposter and shit like that! What have you done to Danny??” He yelled, a vein growing on his forehead.

“Dan, quit bullshitting me! You’re really scaring me here, the fuck! Where is this shit coming from, why are you pulling this act? You’ve known me for years- is this a prank?! Did you eat something really bad? How long has it been since you slept, a-are you hallucinating or something?!” Arin yelled, stomping over to sit on the couch, and Danny drew away from him to the wall in front of him. He sat down in a labored manner, his eyes feeling irritated and his throat beginning to swell. Arin felt overcome with a strange feeling of loneliness and sadness, and Ross felt his heart sink as he watched this, paralyzed in place, watching the chaos he created enfold. He no longer felt pleasured, but instead felt guilty and remorseful for this misunderstanding. Arin rubbed his face with his hands, upset. “Why do you suddenly hate me, what did I do to you? I thought-” he buried his face in his hands, exhaling in frustration through his nose. “What happened?”

Dan-Arin looked strangely at the imposter Arin in front of him, and something deep, deep down inside of him twinged with sadness. “My name is Arin Hanson, first of all, not Danny. Danny Avidan is my best friend in the entire world, and I love him with all my heart. You accusing things about him is really pissing me the fuck off. I work hard every day, I put my ass on the line without second thought, and I take care of my friends when they’re struggling, and sometimes I pay for it. But I do it because I care, and I’d rather see myself suffer than see my closest friends be made jokes of. If this is a prank, it’s gone stale. I’m going to go find Danny myself and make sure you don’t make him feel like shit.” Dan-Arin said, and only Ross was able to appreciate the subconscious depth in his words and how strong they were. Arin looked at him in absolute bafflement.

Suddenly, Ross exploded. “You know what? Fuck it, fuck you, fuck me, fuck it all! Fuck everything that’s happened right now! I can’t take this shit! The damage’s done, I’m going to fix this!” He had a revelation- he remembered what he’d heard the people in the hypnosis videos he’d seen do every time they had someone do a suggestion and to pull them out of it.

He stomped over to Danny, who drew back slightly from this aura of authority from his friend, and snapped his fingers loudly, and demanded, “Sleep!” Immediately, Danny dropped like a lead weight, his knees buckling as Ross caught him and saved his fall, almost collapsing himself under the older man’s weight. His eyes were closed and his expression was now placid and peaceful. “Shh, buddy, I’m sorry about all this.” He whispered. Arin watched in perplexity as his friend fell into Ross, and in an almost envious and extremely concerned manner shot up from his seat on the couch, hands gripping his hair. “The fuck? What are you doing, what the hell is happening?!-” Arin shouted, and Ross shot him a cautious glance, putting his finger to his lips. Arin steamed, extremely agitated, as negative feelings swarmed inside of him like an angry beehive. Ross lowered his voice, so Arin wouldn’t be able to hear him well before he could explain himself;

“Daniel, I want you to listen to me, alright? You’re not Arin Hanson anymore, but you’re going to go back to being your usual, Danny Avidan self. You’re no longer going to be under hypnosis, and, uh…” he wracked his mind, looking for some last thing to leave his friend with. Then he remembered what all the hypnotism things ended with in the videos he’d seen on YouTube, and tried to repeat them as best as he could. “You’re going to wake up feeling, uh, refreshed, rejuvenated, and alert. You’re going to feel good, and you’re going to appreciate Arin more, and maybe think better of me as well. It’s up to you. But you’re going to always remember that everyone really cares about you and wants you to be healthy and happy and proud, so when you wake up from trance, you’re just going to ask Brian to drive you home so you can go sleep for the rest of the day and say that Arin told you to take the day off, alright? And you’ll have pleasant dreams, and feel just good about yourself and who you are. Uhm…say yes if you understand.” He listened carefully as Danny gave a quiet, sleepy murmur of agreement, smiling, with his face buried in Ross’s chest. Ross struggled under the weight of the taller man, but loved the feeling of having him so sensually close to him, and Ross felt his anxieties melt from his own influence briefly. “Now, when I count up from three, I want you to come out of this hypnosis, and you decide what you want to happen after you awaken. 1…2…3! Uh, Wake up.”

Danny’s eyes flew open, and he stumbled away from Ross’s embrace, disoriented but awake again. He looked around the room, and both of them stared back cautiously. He was too confused to notice Arin immediately, and only vaguely acknowledged Ross, as he reoriented himself.

 

His preferences and personality was back to normal, and he looked down at his bare feet in bemusement and at the jacket next to Arin. He frowned, embarrassed about his large feet, and quickly went to go put on his shoes, which were tossed on the floor. He went over to sit next to Arin on the couch, and none of them broke eye contact with Danny, watching his movements warily. Ross watched him with extreme relief, and Arin with hesitation, rubbing his hand through his hair, his nose twitching and his eyes wide. When Danny saw his jacket on the couch with Arin, he was taken aback with alarm, and Arin flinched at being acknowledged again so out of the blue.

“Arin, what’s wrong buddy, are you okay?” Danny asked softly, worry and love filling his face. Arin looked at him in utter disbelief, and then looked at Ross, who shied away from his gaze. Then, Arin, who hadn’t heard the exchange between Ross and Dan, decided to play along with his delirious friend until he and Ross could be alone so he could question him profusely.

He cleared his expression as well as he could, untangling apart the knit in his brow, and smiled at his friend being back to normal. He chose not to bring up the last five minutes, because he didn’t want to think of how he’d made him feel during that strange time.

“Everything’s okay, I just was thinking about, uh, Starbomb and what games we should play next. I’ll tell you about it later. For now, go home and try and get some sleep, you guys have been up all night recording, and…I think you could use a day off. Come back tomorrow, and come over to my place in the morning and I’ll make you some breakfast. You deserve it.” He said, sighing in relief, yet still perplexed. But the warmth of his best friend’s presence finally returned, and he soaked it in gratefully. Danny looked concerned, but then decided to take up the offer, as a yawn stretched in the back of his throat.

 

“If you say so, big cat. Thanks buddy. I’ll see you both tomorrow, ‘gents.” He said, casting a fond glance at his two friends, and he grabbed his jacket from the couch and lumbered lazily out the door with untied shoes, possibly acting out Ross’s post-trance suggestion to go talk to Brian. As soon as he was out of sight and gone, Arin shot a demanding and worried look at Ross, who shrunk into himself.

“Look, I- I can explain….” Ross said, volubly. Arin waited expectantly, throwing the hair out of his eyes. As Ross justified himself and Danny’s strange behavior, making sure to leave out the more erotic details, Arin’s expression cleared somewhat and he looked at Ross with an unchanging, straight expression. Ross pulled out the pendant from his pocket and placed it in Arin’s hand, showing him what he used.

“…so, um, I just wanted to know what he thought of me and you, and when I suggested that he sort of think that he actually was you, cause uh, you know, hypnosis...and we were both tired so I thought it’d be funny and help him relax, and, uh, me too. So everything he did and said was him copying what he thought of you, and what he thought you thought of him. I- It’s complicated, I know…sorry I meddled with him, I just was trying to get to know him better.” Ross admitted, feeling sheepish and awkward.

Arin’s eyes sparkled as he listened to Ross explain himself. “So, what you’re saying is…he thought he was me? Like, he actually thought that he was me and I was just some other guy that looked like me- or, uh, him..?” Ross nodded in reply.

As Arin reviewed the entire encounter he had with Danny thinking he was him in his mind, he considered every change that was present, and reviewing it proved every word to be a revelation. Now that he remembered, everything Danny as Arin had said was actually very heartwarming, and he seemed to recognize how Arin felt and could carry the burden as though it were his own. And when he said that he loved him, all subconscious and open like that…

Arin smirked benignly, looking down in reflective thought, and Ross looked at him expectantly.

Then, Arin finally looked him in the eyes, practically beaming with pride. Surprising Ross, Arin returned the pendant back to him, dropping it in his hand. “Next time you do that hypnosis shit- and knowing you and your sadistic ass, you’re definitely doing it again- make him think he’s you, ‘cause I wanna laugh my ass off while he pretends to be an asshole Australian that’s ten years younger than him and acts twelve.” Ross grinned his elfish grin, and the two friends dissolved into laughter over how Dan embodied Arin. “He basically threw his shoes away and kept talking about sushi and shit. God, he thinks you’re Japanese or some shit.” Ross said, causing the two to erupt into heaps of laughter.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I accept Hypnosis prompts, or Hypno!Grumps prompts. Or Writing Prompts! I also do art trades.


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